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Friday, June 29, 2007

Here's the lineup for Lambic by the Glass 2007, tomorrow at the Public House.

The goal of the 2007 edition of Lambic by the Glass, our fourth such tasting, is to make it easier and less expensive for patrons to sample the olfactory joys of this style of rare and challenging Belgian ale. As in the past, we’re going to try dispensing at least 20 types of lambic priced by the glass, including two draft examples and an experimental American microbrewed nod in the direction of Belgian microflora (note that the projected second American example did not arrive in time).

When the day comes that we can legally buy Boon, Girardin and other examples of the craft, they'll be added to the assemblage.

VINTAGE/SPECIALTY … $7.00 (unless noted)Cantillon Lou Pepe GueuzeCantillon Lou Pepe FramboiseCantillon Lou Pepe KriekOnly the brewery’s finest two-year old lambics are blended to produce the Lou Pepe line, with raspberries added to make the Framboise and cherries for the Kriek. The intent in all three cases is to yield the undiluted flavor of the base lambics.

Cantillon St. Lamvinus 2006 … two-year old lambic fermented with red Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, generally from different vineyards for each year’s batch.

Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 2006Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek 2006Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek 2005Blending commenced at Drie Fonteinen in 1953, and Belgium’s first new lambic brewery in 80 years was added in 1999. House brewed lambics now are added to other one-, two- and three-year old lambics sourced elsewhere to yield vintage-dated nectar.

Hanssens Mead the Gueuze 2004 ($4.00)A blend of Hanssens Oude Gueuze and English mead from the Lurgashall meadery. We cellared these bottles, and the result is some oxidization and diminished carbonation, but with a whole different dimension to the character.